Gourmet breakfast house planned for Wrightsville Beach area

Charlotte-based chain Famous Toastery will open up in the former Havana’s Restaurant on Wrightsville Avenue later this year. Courtesy photo.

A popular North Carolina-born gourmet breakfast house is opening near Wrightsville Beach.

Diane and Joe Kloiber and their son, Joe Jr., have decided to locate their Famous Toastery franchise in the former Havana’s Restaurant, 6722 Wrightsville Ave. The Havana’s in Carolina Beach remains open.

The Kloibers, who reside in Charlotte but spend a lot of time at their second home on Wrightsville, decided to buy into the chain after noticing there was a need for more places to grab a bite for breakfast or brunch.

“I had eaten in the one in Charlotte on several occasions. I don’t have to tell you that breakfast is something that is sought after and I noticed that many people wait in line for it around here,” Diane recalled. “I said, ‘We ought to open one of these in the Wilmington area.’”

Famous Toastery, which got its start as Toast Café in the Charlotte area, now has eight locations through the southeast, from North Carolina to Florida. Another 13, including the Kloibers’ spot, are set to open in the coming months.

The restaurant offers breakfast all day, with a menu that Diane said balances traditional fare, like eggs and waffles, with more unique dishes, such as fresh Maine lobster rolls. Famous Toastery will also serve up a full lunch menu of burgers, wraps and quiches, among other items.

“We have a relatively extensive menu…It’s an accessible menu, I think,” she noted.

The Kloibers are currently making minor renovations and a “minimal amount of upfitting to the 5,200 square foot old Havana’s site, Diane said.

The family—Joe Jr. will primarily be charged with running the restaurant—will soon be looking for approximately 25 to 35 employees. They hope to open Famous Toastery in early December.